Of Monsters and Men
by Thestral86
Summary: Tony has been missing for 5 months and the rest of the Avengers are losing hope of ever finding him. They have all been searching for so long with out any solid leads and none of them know what to do now. When Clint gets a call from his wife Laura saying that a wolf has shown up at their farm and is acting weird, he grabs at the excuse to leave because he's sick of feeling useless.
1. Dirty Paws

The peaceful quiet of the evening air was shattered by great cracks of gunfire echoing through the damp forest. Angry shouts could be heard along with the sound of something quite large fleeing through the underbrush. Large black paws scrambled over logs and through streams and intelligent brown eyes darted frantically around for a vantage point or hiding place.

"Don't let it get away! Kill it if you have to!"

"Sir, it's heading east towards the freeway. We can't pursue if it gets past that, the other side of the freeway is military land."

"Idiot! Shut up! It understands you!"

The yelling of the three men shooting at him was, fortunately, very easy for their quarry to hear and as the last one had stated, he understood them perfectly. He dug his paws in deeper and somehow ran faster, dodging around trees to keep evading the bullets still flying through the forest. He had a safe zone to reach now and he was determined he was not going to die today.

He finally broke through the trees onto a freeway and barely managed to avoid running into the side of a truck that was roaring past. He skipped to the side as it passed and bolted across the rest of the road, diving into the trees on the other side. He hunkered down low, panting heavily and waited to see what would happen.

The men had stopped shooting on approaching the freeway and he could see them at the edge of the trees shouting at each other and swearing. It looked like they really wouldn't follow him any further. He let his head fall to the ground for a moment in relief. He'd done it! After five months of trying he'd finally escaped!

Now he just had to figure out where he was and try to get home. Wait, no, first he had to figure out how the hell to tell someone who he was. If he turned up in New York City as a huge, filthy, black wolf he'd cause a panic and probably end up on the wrong side of the Avengers. No he needed to approach this carefully, no matter how much he just wanted to go back to his tower, and his bots, and his Roadey, and his Bucky. God he missed his Bucky.

Tony shook head and snarled at himself, he had to concentrate on the issue, he could miss Buck later. He was thinking his best bet would be to approach Clint first as he had some experience with animals and was a known dog lover. Hopefully this would make him hesitate to kill a wolf. And really there was only one way to approach Clint in his current form.

With a plan in mind, he heaved himself up and set off in a slightly north easterly direction, he could smell the signs of a town that way and hopefully he would be able to figure out where in the hell he was.

* * *

Clint was sitting in the common room of Avenger's Tower along with the rest of the Avengers, minus Tony. That was actually why they were all gathered there, the fact that they were minus Tony. They had all been searching for any sign or rumour of him for five, long, stressful months now and there hadn't been even a hint of the genius. They had all returned to New York to regroup and trade any intel in person. To make it short none of them had any new intel or leads. It was depressing, Clint hated being depressed and feeling useless. And he was already starting to feel bad looking at the state Bucky was in. The poor guy looked ragged and worn with huge bags under his eyes and a look of such sorrow in his eyes that Clint kinda wanted to hug him. Which is pretty crazy when you remember that the guy is the most infamous assassin in the world.

They were all just kind of sitting in the lounge staring into space stuck in their own thoughts when Clint's phone started blaring Lee Brice's A Woman Like You, making everyone jump. He fumbled for his phone swearing and blushing.

"Hey honey, what's up? It's pretty late for you to be calling, are the kids ok?"

"Um, well, I know you have a lot on your plate right now and I know it's important to keep looking for Tony, that's important to me as well. I don't want you to have to stop for even a day, but I was kind of hoping maybe you could make your monthly stop in now?"

Clint frowned, it wasn't like Laura to waffle like that. "Of course, I'll get in the quinjet and head right over as soon as I grab my bag. What's happened?"

"Well, it's probably nothing to worry about and I have the kids upstairs, so they're fine, it's just a bit strange and unnerving and weird and I'd like you to please come deal with it."

"Laura, honey, you're freaking me out. What is it?"

"Well I'm kinda freaking out so I guess I'm having trouble with being coherent right now. I'm sorry, I'll start at the beginning. Um, I was just finishing bathing Nathaniel when Lila and Cooper came running in telling me there was a dog at the door and asking to keep it. I took Nate with me and followed them back to the front door and there was the biggest fucking wolf I have ever seen just sitting there panting at us. I gave Nate to Cooper and told him and Lila to go upstairs and lock themselves in our room. Then, and I swear to god this is true! The fucking thing stands up and opens the fucking door with its paws. I thought I was dead, but the bloody thing just comes in and lays down at my feet whimpering and wagging it's tail and now it is sitting on our lounge staring at me while I'm talking to you and I swear to god the fucking thing is laughing at me!"

Clint had stopped moving entirely and he now turned to Nat who was watching him intently. "Ok Laura I'll be there in two hours, do not try to touch it, go up with the kids."

"Just hurry up Clint, it's scarring the shit out of me."

"I'll be there soon, Love you."

"Love you."

He hung up while still keeping eye contact with Nat. "I'm taking the jet, now, I'll come back when I sort this out. There is some kind of wolf in my house with my kids."

Nat's eyes flashed with concern. "Want an assist?"

"No we need you here going over the pitiful intel we have looking for Tony, I'll call if it's more than I can deal with, but I should be fine. From what Laura said it's not being aggressive, just acting really weird."

"Ok, let us know if you need any of us."


	2. Little Talks

When Clint finally arrived at the farm he barely remembered to engage the stealth features so he wouldn't be spotted by nosy neighbours. He landed hastily and grabbed up his bow and quiver leaving the rest of his gear and sprinting for the front door.

He knocked an arrow as he opened the door. "Laura? Where are you?"

"I'm in here." She answered quietly

He stalked silently into the lounge room where her voice was coming from and drew back on his bow. As he swung around the doorway he swore loudly.

"Laura what the fuck! I told you not to touch it!"

"Shhh!" She scolded him "You'll wake him!"

She was curled up on the lounge with a giant black wolves head in her lap and she was gently stroking its back.

Clint lowered his bow and just stared in shock. "I thought it was freaking you out!?"

"It is still freaking me out, but the poor thing is hurt and exhausted. He was looking so pathetic I couldn't help patting him, and then I somehow ended up like this and he fell asleep and I didn't want to wake him."

"Jesus, okay. I'll go check on the kids and get them settled then we can figure out what the hell to do with this thing."

After looking in on the kids in his and Laura's room and getting them settled in their own beds for the night (which took longer than usual due to the excitement over the 'dog' and at having a surprise visit from daddy), he hurried back to the lounge where he found the scene unchanged.

"Oh good, it didn't wake up and kill you." He glared at his wife and the wolf.

The wolf huffed and opened his eyes to give Clint a glare of his own, it stretched and casually lifted his head and licked Laura's face, then turned back to Clint and panted happily. Clint just stared, dumbstruck.

"OK, that it a very strange wolf. I am way too tired to deal with this shit tonight, let's just go to bed and the wolf can sleep here on the couch, he seems happy enough. I'll lock the hall door so he can't get upstairs and we'll figure out the rest in the morning if he's still here."

Tony snuggled into the couch, feeling safe and content for the first time in months. He'd made it to the farm and managed not to get killed by his team mate. The first stage of his plan is a success, now he just had to make Clint realise that he was not a wolf but a Tony stuck in a wolf body. Surely it shouldn't take Clint too long to realise…

Two weeks later Tony was cursing himself for even thinking that it would be easy. He had tried everything he could think of, from writing it in the dirt (no one noticed it), to trying to get a phone to work with his stupid big paws (he got scolded for playing with Clint's phone and scratching it). He even tried to help Clint fix the tractor, but Clint just thought he was being cute and passing him tools.

He had nearly given up on this whole plan when Natasha arrived. She was currently eyeing him over while talking with Clint.

"Well I can see why he caused a stir, he is massive. I totally understand why you didn't want to leave Laura alone with him."

"He's actually really gentle, and he's a real sweetie with the kids, lets them hang all over him. After getting to know him these past couple weeks, I'm comfortable about him being here now. I can come back and help in the search for Tony now."

Tony's eyes flicked to Clint at the mention of his name before returning to Natasha. They were still looking for him! He whined at the jumble of feelings that gave him.

Natasha's sharp eyes didn't leave his form when she replied. "I don't know if it will help any at the moment, we've looked everywhere we can look and questioned everyone we can get hold of. There are just no leads, it's like he's vanished off the face of the earth."

Tony whined again mournfully.

Natasha continued in a more subdued tone. "I was actually wanting to ask you a favour, we were hoping maybe Bucky could come out here for a bit. He's not coping and being at the tower these last few weeks has been really hard on him. Would it be ok with you and Laura if he comes tomorrow and stays for a while to try to find some balance?"

Clint's face clouded with sorrow "Of course, he can stay here as long as he needs."

Tony scurried over to Nat and licked her hands enthusiastically. They were bringing his Bucky to him!

* * *

When Bucky stepped off the jet with Nat and Thor at Clint's farm he suddenly found himself on the ground with a huge black wolf sprawled on top of him licking every inch of his face and whimpering.

"Jesus Christ, you fricken menace! Get off Bucky you crazy ball of fluff!"

Bucky found he could move again and sat up, bewildered. Clint was holding a wolf the size of a pony around the neck with both arms as it danced excitedly, wagging its tail and panting happily.

"I am so sorry Bucky, he doesn't normally jump on people, he's actually usually really well behaved and has the best manners."

Bucky shook his head and hauled himself back to his feet. "It's fine, just took me by surprise is all. He kinda reminded me of how Tony would always greet me after a mission." His eyes clouded suddenly and he bit his lip, desperately trying not to cry. "I miss him so damn much." He gasped out. Thor's strong arms wrapped around him from behind.

"We will not give up on your beloved, we will find friend Tony and smite those who took him from us!"

There was a pained silence then that was shattered when the wolf gave a loud mournful howl.

Bucky felt Thor go still behind him and release his hug, stepping around him to kneel in front of the wolf, a look of fragile hope on his face. "Friend Tony?" he whispered

Bucky stopped breathing. The wolf stopped howling abruptly and stared at Thor with wide eyes before it whined at him a few times.

Thor broke into a brilliant smile, pulling the wolf into a hug. "Yes friend Tony I can understand you."

Bucky's knees buckled and he found himself abruptly back on the ground, tears blurring his vision. The wolf… Tony, wiggled free from Thor and bounded over to Bucky. He sat on his legs and licked his face, whining sadly. Thor walked up and put a hand on Bucky's shoulder.

"Friend Tony says, 'please don't cry, I'm here, I love you.'"

Bucky sobbed brokenly and threw his arms around Tony hugging him desperately. "I love you too."

"Are you saying that the pain in the ass wolf that has been annoying my family and me for the past two weeks is actually Tony?! Seriously?!"

"That is so friend Clint, when our brothers have had time to reassure each other we shall question friend Tony about how this came to be and work at setting him right again."

"I still can't believe I've been petting and feeding treats to _Tony!_ This is insane! Oh my god, you sneaky bastard, you kissed my wife!"

Tony chuffed into Bucky's neck at Clint's comment and Bucky squeezed him tighter. "Be quiet Clint, I'm hugging my husband, you can give him shit about this latter."


	3. Winter Sound

There was no better feeling than having his husband's arms around him again, the only thing that could have made it better would be being able to put his own arms around his husband in return. He shoved his nose into Bucky's neck and pressed himself as close to him as he could without knocking him over. Bucky's arms tightened around him and Tony could feel him shaking with suppressed sobs.

After what felt like an age Bucky took a deep breath and seemed to draw himself together. Tony felt his husbands hands tighten in his fur convulsively before he let go and pushed back a small distance. Brown eyes met blue and Tony tried to say everything he wanted to with just that look. He whined again at the tears and pain in his loves eyes and licked his chin, startling a watery laugh from Bucky.

"Eew! Tony that's kinda gross."

But Bucky was smiling now so Tony was totally unrepentant, he was floating being back with Bucky again and seeing him smile. Everything was going to be just fine now they had each other back, the small problem of Tony being a wolf still would be sorted out in no time, he was sure.

Tony felt another hand join Bucky's on his back and turned his head to see Clint kneeling behind him looking relieved and a little guilty.

"Tony, I am so sorry I didn't realise it was you. Looking back I can see where you were trying to drop hints and I'm sorry I didn't pick up on them. Though to be fair, I had no idea it was even possible for people to be turned into wolves. I mean how does that even happen?! I know we see some weird shit every other week but most of it makes some kind of sense in it's own messed up way. But human to wolf transformation? Totally not on my radar. You would totally being whinging about it being against all the laws of science if it had happened to one of us. So, you can't really blame me. Even if some of your hints were pretty obvi- … Bleh! Tony!"

Tony cut Clint's rambling off very effectively by licking his face, then he glanced at Thor and whined a few times before nuzzling Clint's cheek.

"Friend Tony says, 'Don't stress Birdbrain, thanks for looking after me these past weeks.'"

Clint gave Tony's head a scratch, then a strange look passed over his face and he blushed faintly before standing abruptly.

"Ok! Lets move this show inside and get everyone more comfortable."

Then he turned on his heal and practically ran back to the house. Tony looked back at Bucky, but he looked just as baffled as Tony felt and shrugged at him then started making moves to stand which caused Tony to tumble off of him briefly before he was scooped up by two strong arms.

"I'm not letting go of you ever again." Bucky's voice was muffled by Tony's fur and he punctuated his statement by squeezing him so tight it was almost painful. Tony adjusted himself slightly so his front legs were on either side of Bucky's neck and pressed his head down tightly over one shoulder returning the hug as best he could as he was carried inside.

After everyone had calmed down with warm drinks and caught up on Tony's point of view via Thor of his stay with Clint and his family, they started turning to questions of where Tony had been over the last five months. Tony seemed to shrink in on himself, his ears flattened tightly against his head and he whimpered in a way that pulled at Bucky's heart painfully.

Giving the others a pointed look, Bucky pulled Tony closer and hugged him reassuringly. "I think maybe we should let Tony tell us about what he's been through when he's ready. We have him back, that's the most important thing."

Nat stood and started collecting all the mugs, gently nudging Clint and Thor as she passed them. "C'mon guys let's let Tony and Bucky have some time alone."

They all left quietly, Laura stopped to give Tony a gentle kiss on his head as she left. "I'm so glad you're ok Tony, and that you came to us."

Tony licked her cheek and gave a doggy grin at Clint who mock glared at him but then bent and hugged him tightly whispering, "I'm glad you're back too Tony." When he pulled back his eyes were suspiciously damp. Tony must have thought so too as he gave Clint a big slobbery lick from chin to forehead causing him to sputter and laugh.

"Tony, seriously, you have to stop kissing other people or you'll give Bucky a complex."

Tony wiggled and twisted until he was face to face with Bucky and panting happily in his face. Bucky caught the mischievous glint in those familiar, beloved eyes and knew what was coming before Tony started to vigorously lick every inch of his face. He playfully shoved his furry husband from his lap.

"That's kinda gross Tony." His voice warm with affection

Tony just bounded to his feet and leapt for him again and they broke into a mock wrestle on the couch as Tony continued to lick Bucky face when he found an opening. When they finally stopped in a panting tangle, Bucky laughing and Tony giving his wolfish grin, they realised that the others had left.

Tony gave Bucky's nose one last lick and Bucky looked down at him fondly.

"I missed you so much Tones. I was a mess without you, couldn't function at all. Stevie had to drag me away from my search and force feed me to make sure I didn't pass out because I kept forgetting to eat." He squeezed Tony tightly and whispered into his furry neck. "Please never leave me again."

He could feel the tears he had been holding in for so long rolling down his cheeks and dampening Tony's fur. Tony whined and tried to get enough room to turn to see Bucky's face, but Bucky just held him tighter and held in a sob. He felt Tony stop struggling and press himself closer, doing his best to return the hug as Bucky let the tears fall. They eventually drifted off to sleep, curled up together on the couch, the sound of the other's heartbeat a reassuring lullaby.


End file.
